Donations to replace stolen dinners in Streetsboro pouring in

Published: November 23, 2012 9:14AM

By Dave O'Brien | Record-CourierIt ended up being a happy Thanksgiving for 13 families in Streetsboro who had their turkey dinners taken from a donation site Monday before the charity they were promised to could pick them up. Several Streetsboro businesses, city employees and private citizens stepped up to replace several hundred dollars worth of dinners taken from Valvoline Oil on S.R. 14 by someone claiming to be representing the Streetsboro Christian Cupboard, where the food was supposed to go. Malinda Davis, director of the Streetsboro Christian Cupboard, said Streetsboro firefighters, police and other city workers approached her Wednesday morning. Each group gave the charity a $200 check to purchase replacement food. “They called all their buddies,” Davis said. “Everyone in this city has always been great like that.” The dinners that were taken by a suspect who has since been identified by Streetsboro police — no charges were filed as of Tuesday night — included “whole cooked turkeys, gravy, pumpking pies, green beans, stuffing” and other fixings. Police said they can’t be recovered. “All you had to do was heat it up,” Davis said, estimating the dinners included more than $1,000 worth of food. “Everything was perishable, everything was about timing, that’s why we were rushing to pick it up.” Davis said Valvoline employees went out the night the dinners were taken and bought more food to donate. “They were great about it,” she said. “We work with them every year to do this.”The Bob Evans restaurant in Streetsboro also helped out, she said, while a man in Columbus saw a news report about the thefts and purchased 13 turkeys to replace what was lost. Davis said it’s sad it took an incident like what happened Monday to have the city come together, but she said she is thankful for all those who helped out. “God provides,” she said. “We are very blessed.” Davis said the Streetsboro Christian Cupboard helps more than 200 families on a regular or emergency basis, but believes there are “a lot more (who) don’t know about us.” The charity, located in the McMichael Office Building at 9307 S.R. 43, can be reached by calling 330-626-3244. Donations are welcome. Davis also said she hopes “people will learn about us and give us a call when they need some help ... we operate pretty much 365 days a year.” Contact this reporter at 330-298-1128 or dobrien@recordpub.com